How to Accept Criticism with Grace and Appreciation

Criticism, no matter how constructive, is usually taken as a hurtful or demoralising comment.

Dealing with such comments is obviously difficult. Moreover, it is not really a boost for your ego. This article will provide an insight into different ways in which you can deal with them positively.

1. Control Your Temper: Man is naturally defensive of his deeds. So when someone criticises you, your natural response will be to lash back at him. Instead, if you were to control your temper and withhold your urge to bite back, you would make a good impression on your critic. Let your sense of logic sink in and guide you past the anger. You would then understand the true meaning of the intended criticism. With a calm mind in place, you would be able to address your critic positively.

2. Be Positive: There is no need to react negatively to any criticism. Instead, you can thank the critic for pointing out your mistake. On one hand, people with your best interests at heart will want you to improve upon yourself and will welcome your positive feedback. On the other hand, the naysayers will be thrown off guard by your unexpected positivity and will be won over by it. You must keep in mind the fact that any criticism, at the end of the day, is essentially a lesson in humility.

3. Be the Better Person: Criticism need not be taken as a personal attack. If you were to detach yourself from it and look objectively at the deed critiqued, you would realise that you have scope to learn anew. Pointless and rude criticism can make you feel angry, but by choosing to react harshly you are stooping to a really low level. You can opt for the higher path by disengaging yourself from such conversations.

4. Learn From the Criticism: Every criticism, no matter how hurtful, offers an opportunity to educate you. This gives you the scope to analyse your action, look for errors and correct them immediately. By having a positive attitude, you can sail through your situation and strive to be a better person.

5. Avoid Competitiveness: When you are criticised, you should avoid being competitive about it and refrain from being vengeful. You should realise that criticising something or someone is not part of a competition and upholding such behaviour is childish. Being mature involves accepting any form of criticism with grace. When the criticism is pointless, you can humour the situation or be positively sarcastic about it. By showing such maturity, you will come across as an assertive and confident individual.

Accepting criticism is not a difficult task. With the correct attitude, most criticising remarks can change lives. By following the above steps, you will easily be able to accept criticism with gentle grace.